Safety & Reliability
In Insurance Institute for Highway Safety crash tests, the CX-7 earned top scores in both front and side-impact tests. Standard safety features include antilock brakes, traction control and an electronic stability system, as well as six airbags.
Child-seat provisions include standard Latch child-seat anchors in the outboard rear seats. Top-tether anchors for the outboard positions sit midway down the seatbacks — a more accessible location than up in the ceiling or down at the base of the seats, which is where they're found on many SUVs. Though the outboard rear seats have head restraints, there isn't one for the middle position; that's something the Escape, RAV4 and others include.
Reliability has been middle-of-the-road, with average overall scores from Consumer Reports. The publication rates the RAV4 significantly higher and the Vue significantly lower. Mazda's three-year/36,000-mile comprehensive and five-year/60,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty match most competitors', though the Vue, Outlander and Santa Fe offer even longer policies.
Stepping up to the Touring ($25,800) adds heated leather upholstery and a power driver's seat, while the Grand Touring ($26,700) adds automatic climate control, upgraded gauges and interior trim, xenon headlights and a few styling tweaks. All-wheel drive on any trim adds $1,700. Other options include the navigation system, a backup camera, Bose audio and a moonroof. Load a Grand Touring to the gunwales, and the price tops out around $33,000.
See also:
Tire Maintenance
Improper or inadequate vehicle maintenance can cause tires to wear
abnormally. Here are
some important maintenance points:
Tire Inflation Pressure
Inspect all tire pressure monthly (including the ...
Interior
The second row's backrest can recline or fold flat, and the seat can slide
fore and aft to optimize legroom and cargo space. There's room for two in the
50/50-split third-row seat, which also can ...
Cabin Quality
Some may find the CX-7's interior styling a bit too heavy-handed, but overall
quality is good, and there's more utility than you might imagine on first
glance. The dashboard plastic is hard to the ...